2021
Category: Behavioral and Social Sciences
Winners: Amanda Rodriguez and Karina Quiroz
Degree: B.A. Communication Disorders; B.S. Public Health
Poster Title: Addressing Oral Health Disparities in the AIAN Community with Traditional Medicine Wheels
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Rita Ledesma
Abstract: Los Angeles County, originally Tongva/Kizh land, is home to the largest urban American Indian / Alaskan Native (AIAN) community, representing over 125 tribes. As a consequence of colonization and the post-colonial experience, AIAN suffer stark social and health disparities, including a high prevalence of chronic diseases. Chronic disease is linked to oral health and the AIAN population presents with significant oral health disparities. These disparities include early childhood caries (ECC), periodontal disease, oral cancers, missing teeth and lack of dental care. In 2010, a study found that AIAN children have more decay than other US minority populations. A breakdown by age shows that one out of every six 1-year-old AIAN child has ECC. The Educational Community Health Outreach (ECHO) program addressed oral health disparities in LA county, especially amongst AIAN youth. Our study found that there was a lack of strengths-based and culturally tailored oral health education. This led to the development of two preliminary medicine wheels that explain and promote oral health at a community and multidisciplinary provider level. Medicine wheels have been used in AIAN communities to promote holistic wellbeing and utilizing this perspective would celebrate the rich cultural history to promote oral health.
Category: Behavioral and Social Sciences
Winner: Destinee Stewart, Jazmin Ennis and Ayomikun Orunesajo
Degree: B.S. Public Health, B.S. Social Work, B.S. Social Work
Poster Title: Mental Health Barriers and Black Students on College Campuses
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Serie McDougal
Abstract: An individual’s mental state can influence various aspects of their lives and how they cope with stressors. College students face increased stressors coming from parents, education, peers, and internal thoughts. Researchers found that 37-84% of students who screened positive for depression or anxiety do not receive any mental health services (MHS) for these issues. Black college students face all the stressors and typical barriers faced by their non-Black peers and struggle with racism and its effects. Our paper aims to highlight the additional barriers to MHS that are specific to Black college students so that there can be targeted areas of improvement which could lead to higher usage of MHS by Black students. The additional barriers include cultural mistrust, differences in attitudes and knowledge between practitioners and Black clients, and the cultural perspectives Black students hold about mental health and MHS. It is crucial to investigate the nuanced differences in how Black college students navigate mental health and access MHS so that provisions can be made to make MHS more culturally appropriate and tailored for Black students and their experiences on their campuses. Mental Health professionals can use this study to educate themselves, adjust and grow their practice.
Category: Engineering and Computer Science
Winner: Claire Villanueva-Weeks
Degree: M. S. Environmental Science, Geospatial Science
Poster Title: Validation of SMAP Level 3 soil moisture data products using ground-based measurements at agricultural sites
Faculty Mentors: Dr. Jingjing Li and Dr. Andreas Colliander
Abstract: Soil moisture is an important climate driver in surface-atmosphere feedback, water storage replenishment, vegetation health, and food security. Advances in radar
science and remote sensing allow the measurement of soil moisture using satellite
observation. The SMAP satellite (soil moisture active-passive) observes global soil
moisture through spaceborne retrieval at daily timescales. These retrievals are
validated with ground measurements to ensure the adequate performance of the
satellite. Measuring the soil moisture content of agricultural soil is paramount to
determining vegetation health, potential food availability, and monitoring climate
events. To investigate and assess SMAP performance of the level 3 soil moisture data
products, satellite retrieval will be validated with ground-based soil moisture
measurements at five agricultural sites in Argentina, Canada, Spain, and the US.
Statistical measures were used to determine the efficacy of the soil moisture
products. A site studied in Canada produced ubRMSE values within the mission
requirement for both the AM and PM retrievals along with the PM retrievals of
another site studied in Spain. Four of five sites contained large gaps where in situ
data was not retrieved or was flagged as poor quality. Factors such as seasonal
variation of vegetation conditions make agricultural sites particularly challenging
for retrieval.
Category: Physical and Mathematical Sciences
Winner: John Oliver Lobo
Degree: B.S. Chemistry
Poster Title: Modelling Lanthanide Extraction Selectivity Using Quantum Chemical Computation
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Olaseni Sode
Abstract: The binding energies between TREN-CMPO-Et and the lanthanides in vacuo and in a water solvated environment were calculated using PM6. The gas phase calculations indicated a decreasing trend in binding energies along the series while the water solvated calculations better represented the experimentally known selectivity of the chelator to terbium.